How to be a Parent
by Watermelon-Dragon-Chibi
Summary: It's hard; being a parent. It didn't seem like it would be difficult. We had it planned, we were going to be happy. - Hiccup is thrown into the life of being a young single parent when his wife passes during childbirth. He has lost everything, his parents, his wife, and now he realises that his daughter is on borrowed time. He wants to make her short life one worth living
1. Chapter 1

_It's hard; being a parent._

_It didn't seem like it would be difficult. We had it planned, we were going to be happy. __But things don't always go the way you plan them to; and because of that I was thrown into a whole new way of life. But you know what? I wouldn't have changed it for the world._

_So here I am, telling you the story of my baby girl and how she changed my life forever._

* * *

"**Hicuuuup**!"

There was a lively commotion taking place in the Haddock household, deep into the hours of night. The sound of objects crashing to the ground was heard, mingled with the pained screams and cries of a woman that woke almost the entire village up; save for the few Vikings that was so deep in comatose that they could even sleep through a Dragon Raid back in the day.

"Calm down Astrid! _Please_" a young man with wild auburn hair stamped out the flames of a small fire that was licking hungrily at the wooden table leg behind him, caused from his clumsiness by knocking a candle from the table as he rushed to get to his wife's side.

"What is it? What's happening?!" He tenderly brushed sweat-drenched locks from his love's face, whispering to her softly.

"**It's the baby! Hiccuuup!**" Another scream sounded as she spasmed under the strain.

"It's okay honey, just relax and-"

"**Relax! **You tell _me_ to relax?!** I can't believe you!**" Astrid swiped the side of Hiccup's head aggressively, she was _not_ coping well with childbirth.

"Well what in Thor's name am I supposed to do?! I don't know what it's like to have a baby!" Hiccup rubbed at the tender spot, not sure where he should put his hands or what to say.

"**Just get the damn thing out of me!**" She screamed, her crying and wailing a continuous noise by this point.

"**Pllleeeeasseeee**!" Another shudder wracked her body.

"Somebody, anybody! Help! Please!" Hiccup threw open the shutters of the window by Astrid's bed, and called out for help, praying to Thor that someone would hear him.

A hurried knocking sounded on the heavy wooden door of the hut not moments later.

"Please let me in! I can help!" A woman's voice called through.

Hiccup threw the door open wide, allowing the Viking to enter his home,

"She's having a baby-" Hiccup explained, but was busied out of the way by the large woman.

"It's alright my dear, just breathe deeply," she instructed the wide-eyed blonde, holding her hand and stroking it slowly.

"It hurts!" Astrid choked back a sob and clutched at her swollen stomach,

"What do I do?!" Hiccup stroked his wife's face lovingly,

"Just hold her hand and I'll do the rest" the woman instructed.

Hiccup didn't really process everything that happened in the next few moments; it all went by in a blur. Astrid screamed louder then ever before, and suddenly a high-pitched crying that wasn't hers sounded out into the eerily still room.

"Oh! A baby girl, oh precious child" the Viking lady wrapped the child up in a fur blanket that was draped over the end of the bed, and offered the child out to her mother,

"Astrid?" Hiccup squeezed his wife's hand, she didn't move under his touch.

"Baby?" Hiccup started panicking, "what's wrong with her?! What's happening?!" He turned to the woman, "why won't she wake up?!"

"Oh Gods Hiccup, I'm so sorry" the Viking looked stricken as she lifted her fingers to the neck of the still blonde, "she's... _Gone_..."

That was when Hiccup felt his whole world shatter into pieces.

He couldn't process it, he didn't understand.

"She's... Dead?" He felt tears well in his eyes.

Toothless had found his way inside his Viking master's home and was nuzzling gently at his rider's hand.

"I'll leave you, take her" the woman passed the baby into her father's arms, bowed her head in respect, and then quietly left the hut.

"Astrid!" Hiccup couldn't hold the tears back anymore, it couldn't be happening, not to him; not after everything else.

"**What _more_ do you want from me?!**" He yelled at the roof, "**you took my father! You took my mother! And now you've taken my wife?! What have I done to make you punish me so much?!"** He stopped shouting when he heard the babies' cries ring out, bringing him down from his rage. Immense sadness suddenly welled over the young chief, replacing the anger. He looked down at little fleshy bundle in his arms, she was so small.

"I'm so sorry" he kissed her forehead gently, "I'm so _so_ sorry... Valka"

He thought it was a fitting name; after his mother, after a strong and beautiful lady. He had lost his mother to sickness only months after returning to Berk from defeating Drago and his army, only months after losing his father.

"You'll be safe, I'll look after you, sweet baby girl" her tiny fist clenched around her father's finger, and she opened her beautiful green eyes to the world.

* * *

I'm so sorry... I just... I had this headcannon and I couldn't shift it. This is gonna be **_SAD_**, it's already got death but there will be more death. But I hope this story will help you see into the life of being a single father whilst being the chief of a village and taking care of the dragons in his charge.

_**Next chapter will be longer!**_

If anything sounds in-accurate then please tell me! I am a teenage girl, I know nothing about pregnancy or parenthood, but I just wanted to explore this idea! Please tell me what you think ~_ Watermelon-Dragon-Chibi_


	2. Chapter 2

_Kids grow up so fast. One second they can fit in the palms of your hands, and the next they're running around like a startled sheep yelling at everything that moves._

_I was worried about Toothless at first, neither Astrid or I knew how he would cope with not being the 'baby of the family' anymore once the child was born. He actually took it really well; he grew so attached to Valka..._

* * *

Hiccup yawned and realised just _how_ tired he was; all the crying and heartbreak had exhausted him both physically and mentally.

"Time for bed baby girl" he carried the bundle of fur up to his and Astrid's room on the second floor of the hut, yawning as he walked.

"Come on Tooth!" He shouted down to the sleek black dragon who enthusiastically bounded up the stairs after his rider.

Hiccup recalled Astrid telling him that when the baby came he was to leave it in the wooden cot in the next room over; this was to teach it to be independent at an early age due to the fact that as parents, they wouldn't be around that much when it was growing up due to being on Chiefing duties all the time. They'd already planned for Gobber to look after the child whilst they were busy, although Hiccup hated the idea of leaving his own child alone all day.

Hiccup didn't have the heart to leave the baby all alone, and he was paranoid that something bad would happen, and he couldn't risk losing anyone else... He lay Valka down on the soft, thick furs covering his and Astrid's bed as he removed his prosthetic leg and set it down on the wooden flooring.

"Hey Val-" he cooed, waving his fingers at the girl who gurgled in delight and tried to grab the hand in front of her face.

"Easily amused huh? Just like your mom..." Hiccup tried to ignore the pang of sorrow that stung his heart as he thought of Astrid once more.

"You would have loved her Val, she was so kind and loving when she wanted to be" he laughed, remembering all the times they had fought when they were just children.

"We used to have so much fun when we were kids, all of us, we had a little team. We'd always be going out looking for new adventures to be had" a smile crossed Hiccup's face as he remembered what they had called themselves, '_the Defenders of Berk'_

They'd all settled down into their own individual lives now; Snoutlout had a family of his own. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut had decided to stick together even in their adulthood and resolved to living happily in the single life, which was extremely surprising given the fact that Ruff used to flirt with every new piece of meat that came her way.

They took the Academy over from Hiccup along with Fishlegs who had also remained single, and helped to train the new 'recruits' Gobber also went down sometimes for 'old times sake' to help out with his unusual methods of teaching.

"I'll take you there when you're older sweetheart; you'll love it! Though I might have to keep you away from the twins..." He stifled a snigger and looked down at Valka; her eyes were drooping and she yawned, trying desperately to keep her eyes open to look up at her father.

"Am I just _that_ boring huh?" He joked, tickling her through the fur blanket.

Valka yawned again and Hiccup decided that it was time to call it a night. He wrapped his arms protectively around his child as Toothless blew a warm flame to heat up the stone slab he slept on.

"Night Tooth" Hiccup smiled as best he could through the pain of his broken heart at the Fury and closed his eyes.

-X-

Hiccup was stirred from an uneasy sleep by a loud piercing noise emitting close by his ear. The moon was still high in the purple-blue sky.

"What in the-?" He groggily opened his eyes and waited for them to shift into focus before he laid eyes on what was causing the racket.

"Val?!" He leapt up suddenly and scooped the bundle from the mattress.

"What's wrong beautiful?" He fumbled in the dark for his prosthetic.

Toothless had woken up and blew a quick flame onto the dead fire to bring it back to life, allowing Hiccup to find his leg and quickly strap it back on.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" He held the baby out to Toothless who just stared at her blankly.

"You're _still_ a useless reptile!" The young Chief scolded and stood upright, grabbing a creamy coloured fur body warmer with a hood and pulling it on over the top of his armour that he had fallen asleep in. He charged down the stairs with Toothless following close behind.

He only had one back up plan.

"**GOBBER**!" Hiccup knocked furiously on the door to the smith's hut.

"**Come out!**" His teeth chattered in the biting cold. Even Summers on Berk were freezing, and it was a long way into Autumn...

"**Gobber**!" He knocked louder this time.

The sound of objects crashing to the floor was heard from within, and not moments later, a very tied and _very_ irritated looking Gobber was standing in the doorway.

"**HICCUP?!** What-? What in Thor's name are ya doin' here laddy? Do ye even know what _time_ it is?" He rubbed his head and yawned loudly.

"Yes, yes I do, but I need your help!" Hiccup held out the crying baby to the disgruntled Viking.

"What is _that_?!" He pointed at the child, obviously not happy at being woken up because of something as trivial as a crying baby.

"I can't get her to stop crying, I checked her and she's not injured! I don't know what to do!" Hiccup explained.

"Get Astrid to do it; why ye came here in the firs' place is a mystery to me" Gobber was ready to go back into his house when Hiccup grabbed his arm,

"No! Wait! Astrid... She can't help anymore" Hiccup felt his throat closing up.

"What do ya mean?" Gobber felt his heart throb as he saw Hiccup break down into tears on his doorstep.

"What in Thor's name happened to ya boy?" He ushered Hiccup into his hut before anyone else saw him in such a state.

"Did she leave ya or something?" Gobber sat Hiccup down in an old wooden chair at the side of a clutter covered table.

"You could say that..." Hiccup wiped at the tears that continued to streak down his freckled cheeks.

"Well, where'd she go?" Gobber raised a bushy eyebrow, "she run off or somethin'?"

"She _died_ Gobber..." The sentence came out as a mere choke; Valka had fallen quiet, disturbed by her father's behaviour.

"_Oh_... Hiccup" Gobber stood and pulled the young Chief into a hug the best he could manage; Vikings weren't known for their caring manner.

"I don't know what to do Gobber" Hiccup held Valka closer to him, "she's so tiny, I don't know why she's crying... I'm a hopeless and worthless parent"

"**Don't say tha'!**" Gobber shouted suddenly, making Valka start to cry again.

"Sorry..." He sat back down awkwardly,

"It's okay baby, _shhhh_" Hiccup rocked Valka backwards and forwards in his arms.

"I've never seen ya like this before" Gobber spoke more to himself then Hiccup, "you've changed"

"Yeah, I sort of had to" Hiccup smiled meekly, not really feeling up to being happy after everything else that had happened.

"She's probably just hungry" Gobber fished a half-eaten chicken leg from the clutter on the table,

"I don't think that's what babies eat..." Hiccup looked uncertainly at the meat in his friend's hand.

A rumbling growl was heard from outside the hut,

"Oh Gods! I left Toothless out there, he's probably really worried about me!" Hiccup rushed to his feet and ran to the door to let the anxious dragon inside.

"Well no guesses as to why, ye did just start cryin' at the door for no given reason" Gobber spoke, not exactly comforting words, but he was trying in his own way.

"What do babies eat?" Hiccup tried to think, "aha!" He cried, he could remember now; he had seen the Viking woman about the village giving their children milk.

"She needs milk!" Hiccup looked around Gobber's hut frantically,

"Sorry lad, haven't got any o' that nasty stuff here, I got mead if that helps?" He offered.

"_Erm_, no" Hiccup knew where he could get some milk from, but she wouldn't be too happy at being disturbed so late into the night.

"Thanks Gobber!" He waved goodbye to the Viking who dragged himself back to bed, and left the hut.

"I sure hope she's in an accommodating mood..." Hiccup mumbled under his breath.

* * *

Sorry it's not very long again... I actually wrote this with 2500+ words but I accidentally deleted the _entire_ chapter and I couldn't get it back! So I had to completely re-write it... **Thanks to all the reviews favs and follows! **Ihope you like it! ~ _Watermelon-Dragon-Chibi_


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